3. An Illiterate Recites Salokes

When Guru was near Panjokhara, a Sikh spoke with humility, "Sangats are coming from Peshawar, Kabul and Kashmir. Stay here a day so that they may have the chance of seeing you, Master." The Guru agreed. In that village lived a pandit, Lal Chand by name, who was proud of his caste as well as of his learning. He came to see the Guru and spoke with derision: "It is said that you sit on the gaddi of Guru Nanak. But what do you know of the old religious books' ?" Chhajju Ram, an illiterate, village water-carrier of a low caste that was forbidden access to the Vedas, happened to pass by at that moment. Guru Har Krishan asked Dargah Mall to call him. As Chhajju Ram came, the Guru enquired if he would explain to the pandit the gist of the Bhagavad gita. The illiterate villager astonished everyone by his cogent commentary on the sacred book. Lal Chand's pride was overcome. Humbly he fell at the Guru's feet. Both men became the Guru's disciples and travelled with him up to Kurukshetra. Lal Chand, taking Pahul became Lal Singh and was one of the Sikhs who fought with Guru Gobind Singh in the battle of Chamkaur on December 7, 1705, where he fell as a Martyr.